Supercapacitor power buffer for vehicle power system

ABSTRACT

In general, one or more loads, such as a sensor suite of an autonomous (or semi-autonomous) vehicle, may be configured to draw power from a supercapacitor. A switching mechanism can selectively connect or disconnect the one or more loads and the supercapacitor from a voltage source of a vehicle power system. By systematically disconnecting the voltage source from the supercapacitor and the one or more loads, the exposure of the voltage source to the one or more loads is minimized. Accordingly, the exposure of the voltage source of the vehicle power system to potentially damaging short circuits or power surges that may arise in relation to the one or more loads can also be minimized.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/051,130, filed on Jul. 31, 2018 and entitled “SUPERCAPACITOR POWERBUFFER FOR VEHICLE POWER SYSTEM”, which is incorporated in its entiretyherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present technology relates to the field of vehicle power systems.More particularly, the present technology relates to systems, apparatus,and methods for protecting vehicle power systems from potentialelectrical failures that may be caused by loads connected to the vehiclepower systems.

BACKGROUND

Vehicles are increasingly being equipped with intelligent features thatallow them to monitor their surroundings and make informed decisions onhow to react. Such vehicles, whether autonomously, semi-autonomously, ormanually driven, may be capable of sensing their environment andnavigating with little or no human input. The vehicle may include avariety of systems and subsystems for enabling the vehicle to determineits surroundings so that it may safely navigate to target destinationsor assist a human driver, if one is present, with doing the same. As oneexample, the vehicle may have a computing system (e.g., one or morecentral processing units, graphical processing units, memory, storage,etc.) for controlling various operations of the vehicle, such as drivingand navigating. To that end, the computing system may process data fromone or more sensors. For example, an autonomous vehicle may have opticalcameras for recognizing hazards, roads, lane markings, traffic signals,and the like. Data from sensors may be used to, for example, safelydrive the vehicle, activate certain safety features (e.g., automaticbraking), and generate alerts about potential hazards.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of the present disclosure includes a vehicle systemcomprising a high-voltage voltage source configured to power a vehicle,a DC-to-DC converter configured to convert the high-voltage voltagesource to a low-voltage voltage source or a current source, asupercapacitor configured to provide power to one or more loads, and aswitching mechanism configured to selectively disconnect the one or moreloads and the supercapacitor from the low-voltage voltage source or thecurrent source.

In an embodiment, the switching mechanism comprises a buck converter.

In an embodiment, the buck converter comprises one or more MOSFETs forselectively disconnecting the one or more loads and the supercapacitorfrom the low-voltage voltage source or the current source.

In an embodiment, the switching mechanism comprises a pulse-widthmodulation (PWM) controller for controlling the one or more MOSFETs.

In an embodiment, the one or more MOSFETs comprise a high-side MOSFET.Turning on the high-side MOSFET connects the one or more loads and thesupercapacitor to the low-voltage voltage source or the current source,and turning off the high-side MOSFET disconnects the one or more loadsand the supercapacitor from the low-voltage voltage source or thecurrent source.

In an embodiment, the PWM controller is configured to connect the one ormore loads and the supercapacitor to the low-voltage voltage source orthe current source when the supercapacitor is charged at a lowerthreshold level, and disconnect the one or more loads and thesupercapacitor from the low-voltage voltage source or the current sourcewhen the supercapacitor is charged at an upper threshold level.

In an embodiment, the upper threshold level is approximately equal to avoltage of the low-voltage voltage source, and the lower threshold levelis greater than a minimum voltage requirement of the one or more loads.

In an embodiment, the one or more loads comprise one or more sensors inan autonomous vehicle sensor suite.

In an embodiment, the high-voltage voltage source is approximately 275V,the low-voltage voltage source is approximately 12V, and thesupercapacitor has a capacitance greater than or equal to 10 F.

An embodiment of the present disclosure includes a method comprisingconnecting a supercapacitor to a sensor suite of a vehicle andselectively disconnecting the sensor suite and the supercapacitor from avoltage source of the vehicle.

In an embodiment, the selectively disconnecting the sensor suite and thesupercapacitor from a voltage source of the vehicle comprisesdetermining that the supercapacitor has been charged to an upperthreshold voltage and disconnecting the sensor suite and thesupercapacitor from the voltage source based on the determining that thesupercapacitor has been charged to the upper threshold voltage.

In an embodiment, the selectively disconnecting the sensor suite and thesupercapacitor from a voltage source of the vehicle comprisesdetermining that the supercapacitor has failed to charge to an upperthreshold voltage within a threshold amount of time and disconnectingthe sensor suite and the supercapacitor from the voltage source based onthe determining that the supercapacitor has failed to charge to theupper threshold voltage within the threshold amount of time.

In an embodiment, the selectively disconnecting the sensor suite and thesupercapacitor from a voltage source of the vehicle comprisesdetermining that the supercapacitor has been discharged, at least inpart by the sensor suite, to a lower threshold voltage and connectingthe sensor suite and the supercapacitor to the voltage source based onthe determining that the supercapacitor has been discharged, at least inpart by the sensor suite, to the lower threshold voltage.

In an embodiment, the voltage source is a battery installed in anautonomous vehicle.

In an embodiment, the sensor suite and the supercapacitor areselectively disconnected from the voltage source using a switchingmechanism.

In an embodiment, the switching mechanism comprises a buck converter.

In an embodiment, the buck converter comprises one or more MOSFETs forselectively disconnecting the sensor suite and the supercapacitor fromthe voltage source.

In an embodiment, the switching mechanism comprises a PWM controller forcontrolling the one or more MOSFETs.

In an embodiment, the one or more MOSFETs comprise a high-side MOSFET.Turning on the high-side MOSFET connects the sensor suite and thesupercapacitor to the voltage source, and turning off the high-sideMOSFET disconnects the sensor suite and the supercapacitor from thevoltage source.

An embodiment of the present disclosure includes a vehicle systemcomprising a high-voltage voltage source configured to power anautonomous vehicle, a DC-to-DC converter configured to convert thehigh-voltage voltage source to a low-voltage voltage source or a currentsource, a supercapacitor configured to provide power to one or moresensors in an autonomous vehicle sensor suite installed on theautonomous vehicle, and a switching mechanism configured to selectivelydisconnect the one or more sensors and the supercapacitor from thelow-voltage voltage source or the current source. The switchingmechanism comprises a buck converter comprising a high-side MOSFET forselectively disconnecting the one or more sensors and the supercapacitorfrom the low-voltage voltage source or the current source. Turning onthe high-side MOSFET connects the one or more sensors and thesupercapacitor to the low-voltage voltage source or the current source,and turning off the high-side MOSFET disconnects the one or more sensorsand the supercapacitor from the low-voltage voltage source or thecurrent source. The switching mechanism also comprises a PWM controllerfor controlling the high-side MOSFET, wherein the PWM controller isconfigured to connect the one or more sensors and the supercapacitor tothe low-voltage voltage source or the current source when thesupercapacitor is charged at a lower threshold level, and disconnect theone or more sensors and the supercapacitor from the low-voltage voltagesource or the current source when the supercapacitor is charged at anupper threshold level.

It should be appreciated that many other embodiments, features,applications, and variations of the disclosed technology will beapparent from the accompanying drawings and from the following detaileddescription. Additional and/or alternative implementations of thesystems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media describedherein can be employed without departing from the principles of thedisclosed technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional arrangement in which a load isconnected to a voltage source in a vehicle power system.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example subsystem of a vehicle power systemconnected to a supercapacitor, according to an embodiment of the presenttechnology.

FIG. 3 illustrates a graph depicting an example of a supercapacitorbuffer being charged and discharged, according to an embodiment of thepresent technology.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example method, according to an embodiment of thepresent technology.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example block diagram of a transportationmanagement environment for matching ride requestors with autonomousvehicles, according to an embodiment of the present technology.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a computing system or computing devicethat can be utilized in various scenarios, according to an embodiment ofthe present technology.

The figures depict various embodiments of the disclosed technology forpurposes of illustration only, wherein the figures use like referencenumerals to identify like elements. One skilled in the art will readilyrecognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments ofthe systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable mediaillustrated in the figures can be employed without departing from theprinciples of the disclosed technology described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Vehicles are increasingly being equipped with intelligent features thatallow them to monitor their surroundings and make informed decisions onhow to react. Such vehicles, whether autonomously, semi-autonomously, ormanually driven, may be capable of sensing their environment andnavigating with little or no human input. The vehicle may include avariety of systems and subsystems for enabling the vehicle to determineits surroundings so that it may safely navigate to target destinationsor assist a human driver, if one is present, with doing the same. As oneexample, the vehicle may have a computing system for controlling variousoperations of the vehicle, such as driving and navigating. To that end,the computing system may process data from one or more sensors. Forexample, an autonomous vehicle may have optical cameras for recognizinghazards, roads, lane markings, traffic signals, and the like. Data fromsensors may be used to, for example, safely drive the vehicle, activatecertain safety features (e.g., automatic braking), and generate alertsabout potential hazards.

Autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles may be used by a transportationmanagement system to provide ride services or other types of services. Atransportation management system may comprise a fleet of autonomous orsemi-autonomous vehicles. Each autonomous (or semi-autonomous) vehiclein the fleet may include one or more sensors in a sensor suite. Underconventional approaches, various loads, such as one or more sensors in asensor suite, may be powered by connecting the loads to a voltage sourceof a vehicle power system. For example, one or more sensors in a sensorsuite on an autonomous vehicle may be powered using a high-voltagebattery in the autonomous vehicle. However, there may be instances inwhich such loads may experience or cause problematic electrical events,such as short circuits or power surges. In such scenarios, if the loadsare connected to the voltage source of the vehicle power system, ashort-circuit or a power surge may cause a significant failure of thevehicle power system, perhaps rendering the entire vehiclenon-operational. Such events may also result in damage to theload/sensor suite, which can be expensive and time-intensive to replace,and may cause some vehicle downtime. Within the context of a fleet ofautonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles providing services,non-operational vehicles undermine operational capacity of the fleet andrepresent a significant challenge to providing reliable service.Conventional approaches pose disadvantages in addressing these and otherproblems.

An improved approach in accordance with the present technology overcomesthe foregoing and other disadvantages associated with conventionalapproaches. In general, one or more loads, such as a sensor suite of anautonomous (or semi-autonomous) vehicle, may be configured to draw powerfrom a supercapacitor. A switching mechanism can be configured toselectively connect or disconnect the one or more loads and thesupercapacitor from a voltage source of a vehicle power system. Thesupercapacitor and the one or more loads can be connected to the voltagesource of the vehicle power system when the supercapacitor needs to becharged. Once the supercapacitor is charged to an upper threshold level,the supercapacitor and the one or more loads can be disconnected fromthe voltage source. The one or more loads can draw power from thecharged supercapacitor. Once the supercapacitor reaches a lowerthreshold level, the supercapacitor can be reconnected to the voltagesource of the vehicle power system to recharge. In an innovative,unconventional use of supercapacitors, the present technology can shielda vehicle power system from potentially damaging electrical events inrelation to a load by utilizing the supercapacitor placed between theload and the vehicle power system. By systematically disconnecting thevoltage source from the supercapacitor and the one or more loads, theexposure of the voltage source to the one or more loads is minimized.Accordingly, the exposure of the voltage source of the vehicle powersystem to potentially damaging short circuits or power surges that mayarise in relation to the one or more loads can also be minimized. If ashort circuit or power surge does occur, the one or more loads and thesupercapacitor may be impacted or damaged. However, because the voltagesource of the vehicle power system is not connected to thesupercapacitor and the one or more loads at the time of such events, thevoltage source and the vehicle power system can be protected, preservingthe operational capability of the vehicle. More details relating to thedisclosed technology are provided below.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example conventional subsystem 100 of a vehiclepower system. The conventional subsystem 100 includes a voltage source102. The voltage source 102 may be, for example, a high voltage batteryin the vehicle. A DC-to-DC converter 104 converts the voltage of thevoltage source 102 to a lower voltage, as represented by a voltagesource 106. The lower voltage may be used to power a load 108. However,if a short circuit is induced in relation to the load 108, such as ashort circuit 110, voltage sources 106 and 102, or other relatedcomponents, such as one or more fuses designed to protect the vehiclepower system, may be at risk. If the vehicle power system is damaged asa result of the short circuit 110, the vehicle itself may becomenon-operational.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a subsystem 200 of a vehicle powersystem of a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the presenttechnology. The vehicle can be, for example, an autonomous vehicle 540as shown in FIG. 5. In the depicted embodiment, the subsystem 200includes a high-voltage voltage source 202. In an embodiment, thehigh-voltage voltage source 202 may be a high-voltage vehicle battery.For example the high-voltage voltage source 202 may be a 275 W batteryinstalled within an autonomous vehicle. The subsystem 200 also includesa DC-to-DC converter 204 to convert the high-voltage voltage source 202to a lower voltage, as represented by a low-voltage voltage source 206.In certain embodiments, the low-voltage voltage source 206 may beapproximately 12V. The voltage source 202 and/or the voltage source 206may be necessary for the vehicle to operate. In certain embodiments, thelow-voltage voltage source 206 may be a current source 206 capable ofproviding a constant current.

The subsystem 200 includes a load 222 to be powered. The load 222 mayinclude, for example, one or more sensors in an autonomous vehiclesensor suite. For example, the load 222 may include one or more sensors544 installed on the autonomous vehicle 540 of FIG. 5. In the subsystem200, rather than having the load 222 draw power directly from thevoltages sources 202, 206, the load 222 is powered using asupercapacitor 220. The supercapacitor 220 and the load 222 areconnected to the low-voltage power source 206 through a switchingmechanism 208. The switching mechanism 208 selectively connects anddisconnects the voltage sources 202, 206 from the supercapacitor 220 andthe load 222. When the voltage sources 202, 206 are disconnected fromthe load 222, the voltage sources 202, 206 or related components (e.g.,fuses) are shielded from potential short circuits or power surgesrelated to the load 222 that may render the vehicle inoperable.

In the example embodiment, the switching mechanism 208 is implementedusing a buck converter. However, in other embodiments, other switchingmechanisms can implement other switching converters, such as abuck-boost converter. The buck converter includes a diode 210, a firstswitch implemented in the example embodiment using a high-side MOSFET212, a second switch implemented in the example embodiment using alow-side MOSFET 214, and an inductor 218. The switching mechanism 208also includes a controller implemented in the example embodiment using aPWM (pulse-width modulation) controller 216. While certain components(e.g., buck converter, transistors, controller, etc.) are depicted inthe example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, additional, alternative,or fewer components may be used in other embodiments in accordance withthe present technology. The PWM controller 216 can be configured toselectively turn the MOSFETs 212, 214 on or off. In an embodiment, thehigh-side MOSFET 212 and the low-side MOSFET 214 may have oppositestates, such that when the high-side MOSFET 212 is on, the low-sideMOSFET 214 is off, and when the high-side MOSFET 212 is off, thelow-side MOSFET 214 is on. In the depicted embodiment, when thehigh-side MOSFET 212 is turned on, current is able to flow from thevoltage source 206 to the supercapacitor 220, thereby charging thesupercapacitor 220. When the high-side MOSFET 212 is turned off, currentno longer flows to the supercapacitor 220 and the supercapacitor 220stops charging. The load 222, connected in parallel to thesupercapacitor 220, can continue to draw power from the chargedsupercapacitor 220.

The PWM controller 216 can be configured to control the switchingmechanism 208 to selectively connect and disconnect the supercapacitor220 and the load 222 from the voltage source 206. In the exampleembodiment, this selective connecting and disconnecting of thesupercapacitor 220 and the load 222 from the voltage source 206 may beperformed by controlling the MOSFETs 212, 214. The high-side MOSFET 212can be turned on to allow the supercapacitor 220 to charge. When thesupercapacitor 220 is charged to an upper threshold level, the PWMcontroller 216 can be configured to turn off the high-side MOSFET 212,disconnecting the voltage sources 202, 206 from the supercapacitor 220and the load 222. The upper threshold level may approximate or approachthe voltage of the low-voltage source 206. For example, if thelow-voltage voltage source 206 is approximately 12V, the upper thresholdlevel can be, for example, approximately 10V, 10.5V, 11V, 11.5V, or 12V.The charged supercapacitor 220 can provide power to the load 222.

As the supercapacitor 220 powers the load 222, the charge on thesupercapacitor 220 will gradually decrease. When the charge on thesupercapacitor 220 falls below a lower threshold level, the PWMcontroller 216 can be configured to turn on the high-side MOSFET 212 toallow the supercapacitor 220 to recharge. The lower threshold level mayapproximate or approach a minimum charge required to power the load 222.For example, if the load 222 requires between 1.5 to 2V, the lowerthreshold level can be set to approximately 2V, 2.5V, or 3V. Each timethe supercapacitor 220 is charged to satisfy the upper threshold level,the supercapacitor 220 and the load 222 can be disconnected from thevoltage source 206, and each time the supercapacitor 220 is dischargedto satisfy the lower threshold level, the supercapacitor 220 and theload 222 can be re-connected to the voltage source 206. In this way, theload 222 receives continuous power from the supercapacitor 220, but thevoltage sources 202, 206 are only intermittently connected to thesupercapacitor 220 and the load 222. In an embodiment, charging of thesupercapacitor 220 may require only a short time, such as approximately50 ms. In certain embodiments, the supercapacitor 220 can have acapacitance of greater than or equal to 10 F, and discharge of thecharged supercapacitor 220 may occur over a relatively larger period oftime on the order of minutes or hours.

As discussed above, the subsystem 200 provides the advantageous effectthat when the voltage sources 202, 206 are disconnected from the load222, the voltage sources 202, 206 and other important vehicle powersystem components may be shielded from potential short circuits or powersurges that may arise in relation to the load 222. As also mentionedabove, the time to charge the supercapacitor 220, i.e., the time duringwhich the voltage sources 202, 206 are connected to the supercapacitor220 and the load 222, may be relatively short (e.g., approximately 50ms), while the time during which the voltage sources 202, 206 aredisconnected from the supercapacitor 220 and the load 222 may berelatively longer (e.g., on the order of minutes or hours). As such, therisk of a short circuit or power surge in relation to the load 222rendering the entire vehicle inoperable is substantially minimized. Thesubsystem 200 provides the additional significant advantage ofidentifying potential faults or failures in the supercapacitor 220and/or the load 222. As mentioned above, the time required to charge thesupercapacitor 220 should be predictable and relatively short. If thePWM controller 216 attempts to charge the supercapacitor 220, but thesupercapacitor 220 fails to charge to the upper threshold level within aselected time duration (e.g., one second), it can be determined thatthere is a problem with the supercapacitor 220 and/or the load 222, andthe PWM controller 216 can disconnect the voltage sources 202, 206 fromthe supercapacitor 220 and the load 222. In certain embodiments, if thevehicle is an autonomous (or semi-autonomous) vehicle and a problem isdetected, the vehicle can take action to, for example, safely stop thevehicle or move the vehicle to the side of the road for neededremediation or repair.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example timing graph 300 depicting charging anddischarging of the supercapacitor 220, according to an embodiment of thepresent technology. At time t0, the supercapacitor 220 has zero charge.From time t0 to time t1, the supercapacitor 220 is charged from zero toan upper threshold level, V_high. This may correspond, for example, to avehicle being started. As discussed above, the supercapacitor 220 may becharged by connecting the supercapacitor 220 to a voltage source (e.g.,voltage sources 202, 206), such as a battery in a vehicle. In theembodiment depicted in FIG. 2, connecting the supercapacitor 220 to thevoltage source also connects a load (e.g., load 222) to the voltagesource. As also discussed above, the time to charge the supercapacitormay be relatively short, such as approximately 50 ms. Once thesupercapacitor 220 has been charged to the upper threshold level, thesupercapacitor 220 and the load 222 are disconnected from the voltagesources 202, 206. While the supercapacitor 220 and the load 222 aredisconnected from the voltage sources 202, 206, the vehicle power systemis substantially shielded from potential power surges or short circuitsrelated to the load 222, such as a sensor suite, connected to thesupercapacitor 220. As the supercapacitor 220 continues to power theload 222, the charge on the supercapacitor 220 gradually decreases fromtime t1 to time t2. As discussed above, the duration from time t1 totime t2 may be relatively long, such as on the order of minutes tohours, depending on the energy storage capabilities of thesupercapacitor 220. Once the charge on the supercapacitor 220 decreasesto a lower threshold level, V_low, the supercapacitor 220 and the load222 are reconnected to the voltage sources 202, 206 to recharge thesupercapacitor 220. The supercapacitor 220 recharges from time t2 totime t3, at which point the supercapacitor 220 and the load 222 are onceagain disconnected from the voltage sources 202, 206, shielding thevoltage sources 202, 206 from potential short circuits or power surgesthat may arise in relation to the load 222, and the charge on thesupercapacitor 220 once again begins to decrease.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example method 400, according to an embodiment ofthe present technology. At block 402, the method 400 can determine thata supercapacitor connected to and powering an autonomous vehicle sensorsuite has been charged to an upper threshold voltage. At block 404, themethod 400 can disconnect the autonomous vehicle sensor suite and thesupercapacitor from a voltage source based on the determining that thesupercapacitor has been charged to the upper threshold voltage. At block406, the method 400 can determine that the supercapacitor has beendischarged, at least in part by the autonomous vehicle sensor suite, toa lower threshold voltage. At block 408, the method 400 can reconnectthe autonomous vehicle sensor suite and the supercapacitor to thevoltage source based on the determining that the supercapacitor has beendischarged to the lower threshold voltage. Many variations to theexample method are possible. It should be appreciated that there can beadditional, fewer, or alternative steps performed in similar oralternative orders, or in parallel, within the scope of the variousembodiments discussed herein unless otherwise stated.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example block diagram of a transportationmanagement environment for matching ride requestors with autonomousvehicles. In particular embodiments, the environment may include variouscomputing entities, such as a user computing device 530 of a user 501(e.g., a ride provider or requestor), a transportation management system560, an autonomous (or semi-autonomous) vehicle 540, and one or morethird-party systems 570. The computing entities may be communicativelyconnected over any suitable network 510. As an example and not by way oflimitation, one or more portions of network 510 may include an ad hocnetwork, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local areanetwork (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), awireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a portion of theInternet, a portion of Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), acellular network, or a combination of any of the above. In particularembodiments, any suitable network arrangement and protocol enabling thecomputing entities to communicate with each other may be used. AlthoughFIG. 5 illustrates a single user device 530, a single transportationmanagement system 560, a single vehicle 540, a plurality of third-partysystems 570, and a single network 510, this disclosure contemplates anysuitable number of each of these entities. As an example and not by wayof limitation, the network environment may include multiple users 501,user devices 530, transportation management systems 560,autonomous-vehicles 540, third-party systems 570, and networks 510.

The user device 530, transportation management system 560, autonomousvehicle 540, and third-party system 570 may be communicatively connectedor co-located with each other in whole or in part. These computingentities may communicate via different transmission technologies andnetwork types. For example, the user device 530 and the vehicle 540 maycommunicate with each other via a cable or short-range wirelesscommunication (e.g., Bluetooth, NFC, WI-FI, etc.), and together they maybe connected to the Internet via a cellular network that is accessibleto either one of the devices (e.g., the user device 530 may be asmartphone with LTE connection). The transportation management system560 and third-party system 570, on the other hand, may be connected tothe Internet via their respective LAN/WLAN networks and Internet ServiceProviders (ISP). FIG. 5 illustrates transmission links 550 that connectuser device 530, autonomous vehicle 540, transportation managementsystem 560, and third-party system 570 to communication network 510.This disclosure contemplates any suitable transmission links 550,including, e.g., wire connections (e.g., USB, Lightning, DigitalSubscriber Line (DSL) or Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification(DOCSIS)), wireless connections (e.g., WI-FI, WiMAX, cellular,satellite, NFC, Bluetooth), optical connections (e.g., SynchronousOptical Networking (SONET), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)), anyother wireless communication technologies, and any combination thereof.In particular embodiments, one or more links 550 may connect to one ormore networks 510, which may include in part, e.g., ad-hoc network, theIntranet, extranet, VPN, LAN, WLAN, WAN, WWAN, MAN, PSTN, a cellularnetwork, a satellite network, or any combination thereof. The computingentities need not necessarily use the same type of transmission link550. For example, the user device 530 may communicate with thetransportation management system via a cellular network and theInternet, but communicate with the autonomous vehicle 540 via Bluetoothor a physical wire connection.

In particular embodiments, the transportation management system 560 mayfulfill ride requests for one or more users 501 by dispatching suitablevehicles. The transportation management system 560 may receive anynumber of ride requests from any number of ride requestors 501. Inparticular embodiments, a ride request from a ride requestor 501 mayinclude an identifier that identifies the ride requestor in the system560. The transportation management system 560 may use the identifier toaccess and store the ride requestor's 501 information, in accordancewith the requestor's 501 privacy settings. The ride requestor's 501information may be stored in one or more data stores (e.g., a relationaldatabase system) associated with and accessible to the transportationmanagement system 560. In particular embodiments, ride requestorinformation may include profile information about a particular riderequestor 501. In particular embodiments, the ride requestor 501 may beassociated with one or more categories or types, through which the riderequestor 501 may be associated with aggregate information about certainride requestors of those categories or types. Ride information mayinclude, for example, preferred pick-up and drop-off locations, drivingpreferences (e.g., safety comfort level, preferred speed, rates ofacceleration/deceleration, safety distance from other vehicles whentravelling at various speeds, route, etc.), entertainment preferencesand settings (e.g., preferred music genre or playlist, audio volume,display brightness, etc.), temperature settings, whether conversationwith the driver is welcomed, frequent destinations, historical ridingpatterns (e.g., time of day of travel, starting and ending locations,etc.), preferred language, age, gender, or any other suitableinformation. In particular embodiments, the transportation managementsystem 560 may classify a user 501 based on known information about theuser 501 (e.g., using machine-learning classifiers), and use theclassification to retrieve relevant aggregate information associatedwith that class. For example, the system 560 may classify a user 501 asa young adult and retrieve relevant aggregate information associatedwith young adults, such as the type of music generally preferred byyoung adults.

Transportation management system 560 may also store and access rideinformation. Ride information may include locations related to the ride,traffic data, route options, optimal pick-up or drop-off locations forthe ride, or any other suitable information associated with a ride. Asan example and not by way of limitation, when the transportationmanagement system 560 receives a request to travel from San FranciscoInternational Airport (SFO) to Palo Alto, Calif., the system 560 mayaccess or generate any relevant ride information for this particularride request. The ride information may include, for example, preferredpick-up locations at SFO; alternate pick-up locations in the event thata pick-up location is incompatible with the ride requestor (e.g., theride requestor may be disabled and cannot access the pick-up location)or the pick-up location is otherwise unavailable due to construction,traffic congestion, changes in pick-up/drop-off rules, or any otherreason; one or more routes to navigate from SFO to Palo Alto; preferredoff-ramps for a type of user; or any other suitable informationassociated with the ride. In particular embodiments, portions of theride information may be based on historical data associated withhistorical rides facilitated by the system 560. For example, historicaldata may include aggregate information generated based on past rideinformation, which may include any ride information described herein andtelemetry data collected by sensors in autonomous vehicles and/or userdevices. Historical data may be associated with a particular user (e.g.,that particular user's preferences, common routes, etc.), acategory/class of users (e.g., based on demographics), and/or all usersof the system 560. For example, historical data specific to a singleuser may include information about past rides that particular user hastaken, including the locations at which the user is picked up anddropped off, music the user likes to listen to, traffic informationassociated with the rides, time of the day the user most often rides,and any other suitable information specific to the user. As anotherexample, historical data associated with a category/class of users mayinclude, e.g., common or popular ride preferences of users in thatcategory/class, such as teenagers preferring pop music, ride requestorswho frequently commute to the financial district may prefer to listen tothe news, etc. As yet another example, historical data associated withall users may include general usage trends, such as traffic and ridepatterns. Using historical data, the system 560 in particularembodiments may predict and provide ride suggestions in response to aride request. In particular embodiments, the system 560 may usemachine-learning, such as neural networks, regression algorithms,instance-based algorithms (e.g., k-Nearest Neighbor), decision-treealgorithms, Bayesian algorithms, clustering algorithms,association-rule-learning algorithms, deep-learning algorithms,dimensionality-reduction algorithms, ensemble algorithms, and any othersuitable machine-learning algorithms known to persons of ordinary skillin the art. The machine-learning models may be trained using anysuitable training algorithm, including supervised learning based onlabeled training data, unsupervised learning based on unlabeled trainingdata, and/or semi-supervised learning based on a mixture of labeled andunlabeled training data.

In particular embodiments, transportation management system 560 mayinclude one or more server computers. Each server may be a unitaryserver or a distributed server spanning multiple computers or multipledatacenters. The servers may be of various types, such as, for exampleand without limitation, web server, news server, mail server, messageserver, advertising server, file server, application server, exchangeserver, database server, proxy server, another server suitable forperforming functions or processes described herein, or any combinationthereof. In particular embodiments, each server may include hardware,software, or embedded logic components or a combination of two or moresuch components for carrying out the appropriate functionalitiesimplemented or supported by the server. In particular embodiments,transportation management system 560 may include one or more datastores. The data stores may be used to store various types ofinformation, such as ride information, ride requestor information, rideprovider information, historical information, third-party information,or any other suitable type of information. In particular embodiments,the information stored in the data stores may be organized according tospecific data structures. In particular embodiments, each data store maybe a relational, columnar, correlation, or any other suitable type ofdatabase system. Although this disclosure describes or illustratesparticular types of databases, this disclosure contemplates any suitabletypes of databases. Particular embodiments may provide interfaces thatenable a user device 530 (which may belong to a ride requestor orprovider), a transportation management system 560, vehicle system 540,or a third-party system 570 to process, transform, manage, retrieve,modify, add, or delete the information stored in the data store.

In particular embodiments, transportation management system 560 mayinclude an authorization server (or any other suitable component(s))that allows users 501 to opt-in to or opt-out of having theirinformation and actions logged, recorded, or sensed by transportationmanagement system 560 or shared with other systems (e.g., third-partysystems 570). In particular embodiments, a user 501 may opt-in oropt-out by setting appropriate privacy settings. A privacy setting of auser may determine what information associated with the user may belogged, how information associated with the user may be logged, wheninformation associated with the user may be logged, who may loginformation associated with the user, whom information associated withthe user may be shared with, and for what purposes informationassociated with the user may be logged or shared. Authorization serversmay be used to enforce one or more privacy settings of the users 501 oftransportation management system 560 through blocking, data hashing,anonymization, or other suitable techniques as appropriate.

In particular embodiments, third-party system 570 may be anetwork-addressable computing system that may provide HD maps or hostGPS maps, customer reviews, music or content, weather information, orany other suitable type of information. Third-party system 570 maygenerate, store, receive, and send relevant data, such as, for example,map data, customer review data from a customer review website, weatherdata, or any other suitable type of data. Third-party system 570 may beaccessed by the other computing entities of the network environmenteither directly or via network 510. For example, user device 530 mayaccess the third-party system 570 via network 510, or via transportationmanagement system 560. In the latter case, if credentials are requiredto access the third-party system 570, the user 501 may provide suchinformation to the transportation management system 560, which may serveas a proxy for accessing content from the third-party system 570.

In particular embodiments, user device 530 may be a mobile computingdevice such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or laptop computer. Userdevice 530 may include one or more processors (e.g., CPU and/or GPU),memory, and storage. An operating system and applications may beinstalled on the user device 530, such as, e.g., a transportationapplication associated with the transportation management system 560,applications associated with third-party systems 570, and applicationsassociated with the operating system. User device 530 may includefunctionality for determining its location, direction, or orientation,based on integrated sensors such as GPS, compass, gyroscope, oraccelerometer. User device 530 may also include wireless transceiversfor wireless communication and may support wireless communicationprotocols such as Bluetooth, near-field communication (NFC), infrared(IR) communication, WI-FI, and/or 2G/3G/4G/LTE mobile communicationstandard. User device 530 may also include one or more cameras,scanners, touchscreens, microphones, speakers, and any other suitableinput-output devices.

In particular embodiments, the vehicle 540 may be an autonomous vehicleand equipped with an array of sensors 544, a navigation system 546, anda ride-service computing device 548. In particular embodiments, a fleetof autonomous vehicles 540 may be managed by the transportationmanagement system 560. The fleet of autonomous vehicles 540, in whole orin part, may be owned by the entity associated with the transportationmanagement system 560, or they may be owned by a third-party entityrelative to the transportation management system 560. In either case,the transportation management system 560 may control the operations ofthe autonomous vehicles 540, including, e.g., dispatching selectvehicles 540 to fulfill ride requests, instructing the vehicles 540 toperform select operations (e.g., head to a service center orcharging/fueling station, pull over, stop immediately, self-diagnose,lock/unlock compartments, change music station, change temperature, andany other suitable operations), and instructing the vehicles 540 toenter select operation modes (e.g., operate normally, drive at a reducedspeed, drive under the command of human operators, and any othersuitable operational modes).

In particular embodiments, the autonomous vehicles 540 may receive datafrom and transmit data to the transportation management system 560 andthe third-party system 570. Examples of received data may include, e.g.,instructions, new software or software updates, maps, 3D models, trainedor untrained machine-learning models, location information (e.g.,location of the ride requestor, the autonomous vehicle 540 itself, otherautonomous vehicles 540, and target destinations such as servicecenters), navigation information, traffic information, weatherinformation, entertainment content (e.g., music, video, and news) riderequestor information, ride information, and any other suitableinformation. Examples of data transmitted from the autonomous vehicle540 may include, e.g., telemetry and sensor data,determinations/decisions based on such data, vehicle condition or state(e.g., battery/fuel level, tire and brake conditions, sensor condition,speed, odometer, etc.), location, navigation data, passenger inputs(e.g., through a user interface in the vehicle 540, passengers maysend/receive data to the transportation management system 560 and/orthird-party system 570), and any other suitable data.

In particular embodiments, autonomous vehicles 540 may also communicatewith each other as well as other traditional human-driven vehicles,including those managed and not managed by the transportation managementsystem 560. For example, one vehicle 540 may communicate with anothervehicle data regarding their respective location, condition, status,sensor reading, and any other suitable information. In particularembodiments, vehicle-to-vehicle communication may take place over directshort-range wireless connection (e.g., WI-FI, Bluetooth, NFC) and/orover a network (e.g., the Internet or via the transportation managementsystem 560 or third-party system 570).

In particular embodiments, an autonomous vehicle 540 may obtain andprocess sensor/telemetry data. Such data may be captured by any suitablesensors. For example, the vehicle 540 may have a Light Detection andRanging (LiDAR) sensor array of multiple LiDAR transceivers that areconfigured to rotate 360°, emitting pulsed laser light and measuring thereflected light from objects surrounding vehicle 540. In particularembodiments, LiDAR transmitting signals may be steered by use of a gatedlight valve, which may be a MEMs device that directs a light beam usingthe principle of light diffraction. Such a device may not use a gimbaledmirror to steer light beams in 360° around the autonomous vehicle.Rather, the gated light valve may direct the light beam into one ofseveral optical fibers, which may be arranged such that the light beammay be directed to many discrete positions around the autonomousvehicle. Thus, data may be captured in 360° around the autonomousvehicle, but no rotating parts may be necessary. A LiDAR is an effectivesensor for measuring distances to targets, and as such may be used togenerate a three-dimensional (3D) model of the external environment ofthe autonomous vehicle 540. As an example and not by way of limitation,the 3D model may represent the external environment including objectssuch as other cars, curbs, debris, objects, and pedestrians up to amaximum range of the sensor arrangement (e.g., 50, 100, or 200 meters).As another example, the autonomous vehicle 540 may have optical cameraspointing in different directions. The cameras may be used for, e.g.,recognizing roads, lane markings, street signs, traffic lights, police,other vehicles, and any other visible objects of interest. To enable thevehicle 540 to “see” at night, infrared cameras may be installed. Inparticular embodiments, the vehicle may be equipped with stereo visionfor, e.g., spotting hazards such as pedestrians or tree branches on theroad. As another example, the vehicle 540 may have radars for, e.g.,detecting other vehicles and/or hazards afar. Furthermore, the vehicle540 may have ultrasound equipment for, e.g., parking and obstacledetection. In addition to sensors enabling the vehicle 540 to detect,measure, and understand the external world around it, the vehicle 540may further be equipped with sensors for detecting and self-diagnosingthe vehicle's own state and condition. For example, the vehicle 540 mayhave wheel sensors for, e.g., measuring velocity; global positioningsystem (GPS) for, e.g., determining the vehicle's current geolocation;and/or inertial measurement units, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and/orodometer systems for movement or motion detection. While the descriptionof these sensors provides particular examples of utility, one ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the utilities of thesensors are not limited to those examples. Further, while an example ofa utility may be described with respect to a particular type of sensor,it should be appreciated that the utility may be achieved using anycombination of sensors. For example, an autonomous vehicle 540 may builda 3D model of its surrounding based on data from its LiDAR, radar,sonar, and cameras, along with a pre-generated map obtained from thetransportation management system 560 or the third-party system 570.Although sensors 544 appear in a particular location on autonomousvehicle 540 in FIG. 5, sensors 544 may be located in any suitablelocation in or on autonomous vehicle 540. Example locations for sensorsinclude the front and rear bumpers, the doors, the front windshield, onthe side panel, or any other suitable location.

In particular embodiments, the autonomous vehicle 540 may be equippedwith a processing unit (e.g., one or more CPUs and GPUs), memory, andstorage. The vehicle 540 may thus be equipped to perform a variety ofcomputational and processing tasks, including processing the sensordata, extracting useful information, and operating accordingly. Forexample, based on images captured by its cameras and a machine-visionmodel, the vehicle 540 may identify particular types of objects capturedby the images, such as pedestrians, other vehicles, lanes, curbs, andany other objects of interest.

In particular embodiments, the autonomous vehicle 540 may have anavigation system 546 responsible for safely navigating the autonomousvehicle 540. In particular embodiments, the navigation system 546 maytake as input any type of sensor data from, e.g., a Global PositioningSystem (GPS) module, inertial measurement unit (IMU), LiDAR sensors,optical cameras, radio frequency (RF) transceivers, or any othersuitable telemetry or sensory mechanisms. The navigation system 546 mayalso utilize, e.g., map data, traffic data, accident reports, weatherreports, instructions, target destinations, and any other suitableinformation to determine navigation routes and particular drivingoperations (e.g., slowing down, speeding up, stopping, swerving, etc.).In particular embodiments, the navigation system 546 may use itsdeterminations to control the vehicle 540 to operate in prescribedmanners and to guide the autonomous vehicle 540 to its destinationswithout colliding into other objects. Although the physical embodimentof the navigation system 546 (e.g., the processing unit) appears in aparticular location on autonomous vehicle 540 in FIG. 5, navigationsystem 546 may be located in any suitable location in or on autonomousvehicle 540. Example locations for navigation system 546 include insidethe cabin or passenger compartment of autonomous vehicle 540, near theengine/battery, near the front seats, rear seats, or in any othersuitable location.

In particular embodiments, the autonomous vehicle 540 may be equippedwith a ride-service computing device 548, which may be a tablet or anyother suitable device installed by transportation management system 560to allow the user to interact with the autonomous vehicle 540,transportation management system 560, other users 501, or third-partysystems 570. In particular embodiments, installation of ride-servicecomputing device 548 may be accomplished by placing the ride-servicecomputing device 548 inside autonomous vehicle 540, and configuring itto communicate with the vehicle 540 via a wired or wireless connection(e.g., via Bluetooth). Although FIG. 5 illustrates a single ride-servicecomputing device 548 at a particular location in autonomous vehicle 540,autonomous vehicle 540 may include several ride-service computingdevices 548 in several different locations within the vehicle. As anexample and not by way of limitation, autonomous vehicle 540 may includefour ride-service computing devices 548 located in the following places:one in front of the front-left passenger seat (e.g., driver's seat intraditional U.S. automobiles), one in front of the front-right passengerseat, one in front of each of the rear-left and rear-right passengerseats. In particular embodiments, ride-service computing device 548 maybe detachable from any component of autonomous vehicle 540. This mayallow users to handle ride-service computing device 548 in a mannerconsistent with other tablet computing devices. As an example and not byway of limitation, a user may move ride-service computing device 548 toany location in the cabin or passenger compartment of autonomous vehicle540, may hold ride-service computing device 548, or handle ride-servicecomputing device 548 in any other suitable manner. Although thisdisclosure describes providing a particular computing device in aparticular manner, this disclosure contemplates providing any suitablecomputing device in any suitable manner.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example computer system 600. In particularembodiments, one or more computer systems 600 perform one or more stepsof one or more methods described or illustrated herein. In particularembodiments, one or more computer systems 600 provide thefunctionalities described or illustrated herein. In particularembodiments, software running on one or more computer systems 600performs one or more steps of one or more methods described orillustrated herein or provides the functionalities described orillustrated herein. Particular embodiments include one or more portionsof one or more computer systems 600. Herein, a reference to a computersystem may encompass a computing device, and vice versa, whereappropriate. Moreover, a reference to a computer system may encompassone or more computer systems, where appropriate.

This disclosure contemplates any suitable number of computer systems600. This disclosure contemplates computer system 600 taking anysuitable physical form. As example and not by way of limitation,computer system 600 may be an embedded computer system, a system-on-chip(SOC), a single-board computer system (SBC) (such as, for example, acomputer-on-module (COM) or system-on-module (SOM)), a desktop computersystem, a laptop or notebook computer system, an interactive kiosk, amainframe, a mesh of computer systems, a mobile telephone, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), a server, a tablet computer system, anaugmented/virtual reality device, or a combination of two or more ofthese. Where appropriate, computer system 600 may include one or morecomputer systems 600; be unitary or distributed; span multiplelocations; span multiple machines; span multiple data centers; or residein a cloud, which may include one or more cloud components in one ormore networks. Where appropriate, one or more computer systems 600 mayperform without substantial spatial or temporal limitation one or moresteps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein. As anexample and not by way of limitation, one or more computer systems 600may perform in real time or in batch mode one or more steps of one ormore methods described or illustrated herein. One or more computersystems 600 may perform at different times or at different locations oneor more steps of one or more methods described or illustrated herein,where appropriate.

In particular embodiments, computer system 600 includes a processor 602,memory 604, storage 606, an input/output (I/O) interface 608, acommunication interface 610, and a bus 612. Although this disclosuredescribes and illustrates a particular computer system having aparticular number of particular components in a particular arrangement,this disclosure contemplates any suitable computer system having anysuitable number of any suitable components in any suitable arrangement.

In particular embodiments, processor 602 includes hardware for executinginstructions, such as those making up a computer program. As an exampleand not by way of limitation, to execute instructions, processor 602 mayretrieve (or fetch) the instructions from an internal register, aninternal cache, memory 604, or storage 606; decode and execute them; andthen write one or more results to an internal register, an internalcache, memory 604, or storage 606. In particular embodiments, processor602 may include one or more internal caches for data, instructions, oraddresses. This disclosure contemplates processor 602 including anysuitable number of any suitable internal caches, where appropriate. Asan example and not by way of limitation, processor 602 may include oneor more instruction caches, one or more data caches, and one or moretranslation lookaside buffers (TLBs). Instructions in the instructioncaches may be copies of instructions in memory 604 or storage 606, andthe instruction caches may speed up retrieval of those instructions byprocessor 602. Data in the data caches may be copies of data in memory604 or storage 606 that are to be operated on by computer instructions;the results of previous instructions executed by processor 602 that areaccessible to subsequent instructions or for writing to memory 604 orstorage 606; or any other suitable data. The data caches may speed upread or write operations by processor 602. The TLBs may speed upvirtual-address translation for processor 602. In particularembodiments, processor 602 may include one or more internal registersfor data, instructions, or addresses. This disclosure contemplatesprocessor 602 including any suitable number of any suitable internalregisters, where appropriate. Where appropriate, processor 602 mayinclude one or more arithmetic logic units (ALUs), be a multi-coreprocessor, or include one or more processors 602. Although thisdisclosure describes and illustrates a particular processor, thisdisclosure contemplates any suitable processor.

In particular embodiments, memory 604 includes main memory for storinginstructions for processor 602 to execute or data for processor 602 tooperate on. As an example and not by way of limitation, computer system600 may load instructions from storage 606 or another source (such asanother computer system 600) to memory 604. Processor 602 may then loadthe instructions from memory 604 to an internal register or internalcache. To execute the instructions, processor 602 may retrieve theinstructions from the internal register or internal cache and decodethem. During or after execution of the instructions, processor 602 maywrite one or more results (which may be intermediate or final results)to the internal register or internal cache. Processor 602 may then writeone or more of those results to memory 604. In particular embodiments,processor 602 executes only instructions in one or more internalregisters or internal caches or in memory 604 (as opposed to storage 606or elsewhere) and operates only on data in one or more internalregisters or internal caches or in memory 604 (as opposed to storage 606or elsewhere). One or more memory buses (which may each include anaddress bus and a data bus) may couple processor 602 to memory 604. Bus612 may include one or more memory buses, as described in further detailbelow. In particular embodiments, one or more memory management units(MMUs) reside between processor 602 and memory 604 and facilitateaccesses to memory 604 requested by processor 602. In particularembodiments, memory 604 includes random access memory (RAM). This RAMmay be volatile memory, where appropriate. Where appropriate, this RAMmay be dynamic RAM (DRAM) or static RAM (SRAM). Moreover, whereappropriate, this RAM may be single-ported or multi-ported RAM. Thisdisclosure contemplates any suitable RAM. Memory 604 may include one ormore memories 604, where appropriate. Although this disclosure describesand illustrates particular memory, this disclosure contemplates anysuitable memory.

In particular embodiments, storage 606 includes mass storage for data orinstructions. As an example and not by way of limitation, storage 606may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a floppy disk drive, flash memory,an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, magnetic tape, or a UniversalSerial Bus (USB) drive or a combination of two or more of these. Storage606 may include removable or non-removable (or fixed) media, whereappropriate. Storage 606 may be internal or external to computer system600, where appropriate. In particular embodiments, storage 606 isnon-volatile, solid-state memory. In particular embodiments, storage 606includes read-only memory (ROM). Where appropriate, this ROM may bemask-programmed ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM),electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), electrically alterable ROM (EAROM),or flash memory or a combination of two or more of these. Thisdisclosure contemplates mass storage 606 taking any suitable physicalform. Storage 606 may include one or more storage control unitsfacilitating communication between processor 602 and storage 606, whereappropriate. Where appropriate, storage 606 may include one or morestorages 606. Although this disclosure describes and illustratesparticular storage, this disclosure contemplates any suitable storage.

In particular embodiments, I/O interface 608 includes hardware,software, or both, providing one or more interfaces for communicationbetween computer system 600 and one or more I/O devices. Computer system600 may include one or more of these I/O devices, where appropriate. Oneor more of these I/O devices may enable communication between a personand computer system 600. As an example and not by way of limitation, anI/O device may include a keyboard, keypad, microphone, monitor, mouse,printer, scanner, speaker, still camera, stylus, tablet, touch screen,trackball, video camera, another suitable I/O device or a combination oftwo or more of these. An I/O device may include one or more sensors.This disclosure contemplates any suitable I/O devices and any suitableI/O interfaces 608 for them. Where appropriate, I/O interface 608 mayinclude one or more device or software drivers enabling processor 602 todrive one or more of these I/O devices. I/O interface 608 may includeone or more I/O interfaces 608, where appropriate. Although thisdisclosure describes and illustrates a particular I/O interface, thisdisclosure contemplates any suitable I/O interface.

In particular embodiments, communication interface 610 includeshardware, software, or both providing one or more interfaces forcommunication (such as, for example, packet-based communication) betweencomputer system 600 and one or more other computer systems 600 or one ormore networks. As an example and not by way of limitation, communicationinterface 610 may include a network interface controller (NIC) ornetwork adapter for communicating with an Ethernet or any otherwire-based network or a wireless NIC (WNIC) or wireless adapter forcommunicating with a wireless network, such as a WI-FI network. Thisdisclosure contemplates any suitable network and any suitablecommunication interface 610 for it. As an example and not by way oflimitation, computer system 600 may communicate with an ad hoc network,a personal area network (PAN), a local area network (LAN), a wide areanetwork (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), or one or moreportions of the Internet or a combination of two or more of these. Oneor more portions of one or more of these networks may be wired orwireless. As an example, computer system 600 may communicate with awireless PAN (WPAN) (such as, for example, a Bluetooth WPAN), a WI-FInetwork, a WI-MAX network, a cellular telephone network (such as, forexample, a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network), orany other suitable wireless network or a combination of two or more ofthese. Computer system 600 may include any suitable communicationinterface 610 for any of these networks, where appropriate.Communication interface 610 may include one or more communicationinterfaces 610, where appropriate. Although this disclosure describesand illustrates a particular communication interface, this disclosurecontemplates any suitable communication interface.

In particular embodiments, bus 612 includes hardware, software, or bothcoupling components of computer system 600 to each other. As an exampleand not by way of limitation, bus 612 may include an AcceleratedGraphics Port (AGP) or any other graphics bus, an Enhanced IndustryStandard Architecture (EISA) bus, a front-side bus (FSB), aHYPERTRANSPORT (HT) interconnect, an Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, an INFINIBAND interconnect, a low-pin-count (LPC) bus, amemory bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, a PeripheralComponent Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCIe) bus, a serialadvanced technology attachment (SATA) bus, a Video Electronics StandardsAssociation local (VLB) bus, or another suitable bus or a combination oftwo or more of these. Bus 612 may include one or more buses 612, whereappropriate. Although this disclosure describes and illustrates aparticular bus, this disclosure contemplates any suitable bus orinterconnect.

Herein, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium or media mayinclude one or more semiconductor-based or other types of integratedcircuits (ICs) (such, as for example, field-programmable gate arrays(FPGAs) or application-specific ICs (ASICs)), hard disk drives (HDDs),hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical discs, optical disc drives (ODDs),magneto-optical discs, magneto-optical drives, floppy diskettes, floppydisk drives (FDDs), magnetic tapes, solid-state drives (SSDs),RAM-drives, SECURE DIGITAL cards or drives, any other suitablecomputer-readable non-transitory storage media, or any suitablecombination of two or more of these, where appropriate. Acomputer-readable non-transitory storage medium may be volatile,non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile, whereappropriate.

Herein, “or” is inclusive and not exclusive, unless expressly indicatedotherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A or B”means “A, B, or both,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicatedotherwise by context. Moreover, “and” is both joint and several, unlessexpressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context.Therefore, herein, “A and B” means “A and B, jointly or severally,”unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context.

Methods described herein may vary in accordance with the presentdisclosure. Various embodiments of this disclosure may repeat one ormore steps of the methods described herein, where appropriate. Althoughthis disclosure describes and illustrates particular steps of certainmethods as occurring in a particular order, this disclosure contemplatesany suitable steps of the methods occurring in any suitable order or inany combination which may include all, some, or none of the steps of themethods. Furthermore, although this disclosure may describe andillustrate particular components, devices, or systems carrying outparticular steps of a method, this disclosure contemplates any suitablecombination of any suitable components, devices, or systems carrying outany suitable steps of the method.

The scope of this disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions,variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodimentsdescribed or illustrated herein that a person having ordinary skill inthe art would comprehend. The scope of this disclosure is not limited tothe example embodiments described or illustrated herein. Moreover,although this disclosure describes and illustrates respectiveembodiments herein as including particular components, modules,elements, feature, functions, operations, or steps, any of theseembodiments may include any combination or permutation of any of thecomponents, modules, elements, features, functions, operations, or stepsdescribed or illustrated anywhere herein that a person having ordinaryskill in the art would comprehend. Furthermore, reference in theappended claims to an apparatus or system or a component of an apparatusor system being adapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to,enabled to, operable to, or operative to perform a particular functionencompasses that apparatus, system, component, whether or not it or thatparticular function is activated, turned on, or unlocked, as long asthat apparatus, system, or component is so adapted, arranged, capable,configured, enabled, operable, or operative. Additionally, although thisdisclosure describes or illustrates particular embodiments as providingparticular advantages, particular embodiments may provide none, some, orall of these advantages.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle system comprising: a high-voltagevoltage source configured to power a vehicle; a DC-to-DC converterconfigured to convert the high-voltage voltage source to a low-voltagevoltage source or a current source; a supercapacitor configured toprovide power to one or more loads; and a switching mechanism configuredto selectively disconnect the one or more loads and the supercapacitorfrom the low-voltage voltage source or the current source.